Canadian LPN poll

Fiona59 · Jan 14, 2007

LPN for 6 years.

Work on a postpartum unit. Loads of work in my area.

Have no desire to go onto BScN, the bridge came too late for me. There are many things that I would rather be doing in my 50's than repaying student loans (I'd have to work full time to do that).

Scope of practice is defined by the health region. So, I do everything except IM and IV starts and meds. However, LPN's in my region are starting IVs and doing there own meds in some hospital here due to the nursing shortage. Dialysis PN's do their own IV meds.

Wages top off at around $21 and change. Our union has some serious bargaining ahead of them. Some clerks in London Drugs are making nearly as much as a new grad.

Paprikat · Jan 18, 2007

LPN for 10 years. Live in PoCo, work in Surrey.

Work in LTC, same job for 10 years...scary!

We are currently looking for 8 full time LPN's in my facility alone, not to mention casuals. I would like to get my RN someday, if possible, but right now I am expecting in May, and $$ will be tight. I have looked in to Athabasca and may do that. I work full scope...I do everything the RN does at my facility - IM, all meds, narcs, treatments, we don't have IV's in my facility, pronounce death, take/transcribe MD orders as well as team leader for 5 care aides.

Fiona59 · Jan 18, 2007

Hey Paprikat, all of Athabasca's clinicals are in Alberta with no guarantee of where they will be. Heard of nurses in Edmonton going to Calgary and Lethbridge. Plus you have to get an Alberta LPN license.

Just warning you...

Happytocare · Jan 19, 2007

Been a LPN for 4 years

Started off in Alberta,moved to Winnipeg been nursing in a private LTC Specialized Dementia unit for four years wage $22.60/hr evening premium $1.00,

weekend end premium $1.35. The union is pretty good. Top wage year 6 $24.29

Job market is good

I am completely happy being an LPN!

We practise within the province's Standards of Practise

I start IV's, do catherization administer antibiotic IV's, IM's, there are specialty courses you can take to work on dialysis units

LPNs work in all areas of medicine, surgery ,pediatrics geriatrics, etc etc

I've also heard that the LPN courses in other provinces are not all the same so if you plan to stay in B.C that's okay if not it might be a good idea to explore your options

Paprikat · Jan 19, 2007

Hi Fiona, thanks for the info. I was aware of the Alta. license requirements and that I would have to do the practicums in Alberta, but I didn't realize they could send you where ever. I have family in Calgary, so I just thought I would go there, but I guess maybe not

I was hoping sometime in the near future BC would offer something to help LPN's get their BSN's, seeing how short they are for nurses!!

Mischa G · Mar 19, 2007

I've been an RPN (LPN) for over 5 years. I like it...it depends on where you work cause one job differs from the other.

I work in Ottawa in a Retirement Home. I will know this week if I got a job at the hospital in the medical unit.

They need LOTS of LPN's!! Where I work they are running out of nurses so they are compensating with UCP's (Unregulated Care Providers) It's sickening and more work for us nurses cause obviously UCP's are limited in work tasks.

I thought of RN and the pay is nicer but of course with more responsibilities..example taking care of stable pt's, taking telephone dr's orders..etc. Here RN's start @ $23.80/hour. (that's at the hospital in a medical unit)

Regarding pay rate, it's bad cause I'm working in a private care facility. To start, you can believe me if you want but it's $13.00/hour for LPN's!! But don't let that infulence you in thinking LPN's get a bad pay. Employees in private facilities are USUALLY under paid and work hard!!!

My potential job at the hospital would pay $21.00/hour and a raise in 3 months depending on how many hours I worked in my career.

My advice, be yourself, believe in yourself..sometimes school have it's up's and down's but it's worth it at the end. Good luck!

lpnstudent2006 · Mar 20, 2007

Just to inform you that I am a new grad from BC and I did'nt have to do any practicums here all I had to do is apply to the CLPNA for out of province registration and all together it cost me 401.00. There are really good insentive packages they offer here in Alberta for nurses to sign up for 2 years..

Fiona59 · Mar 20, 2007

The practicums we were discussing are part of the LPN-RN bridge offered by Athabasca University.

Transferring your license from province to province is pretty straight forward unless you move to BC they can take forever to do the paperwork and took forever to respond to calls, emails, etc.

Oh, and the incentives are usually only offered by LTC private companies. Haven't heard of any active treatment hospitals offering them.

OgopogoLPN, LPN, RN · Mar 20, 2007

Just to inform you that I am a new grad from BC and I did'nt have to do any practicums here all I had to do is apply to the CLPNA for out of province registration and all together it cost me 401.00. There are really good insentive packages they offer here in Alberta for nurses to sign up for 2 years..

It is my understanding the on average, an LPN earns more in BC than in Alberta. Starting wage at the hospital is around $21.00. I belive some private facilities pay more.

Plus, I own a house here, have a child in school, my husband has a job here. We're not moving to Alberta, but that is great that some places are offering incentives!! :)

linzz · Mar 23, 2007

I am from Ontario and I would love to go to Alberta but my husband has a good job here, we have two kids in school and a house. My cousin moved there four years ago and has never looked back. I have heard that it is expensive for housing there but so is Toronto and other areas of Ontario.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Mar 23, 2007

Housing prices out here have really gotten out of hand, and they're only going to get worse. The economists are predicting at least a 15 % increase this year, but they said that last year and it was closer to 26%. We bought our nothing-to-write-home-about house in a suburb of Edmonton 5 years ago for $160k after being told by a realtor that we were paying too much then we put about $45k into in in renovations and it's been appraised by the bank now for $335k. With the right realtor, we could probably get even more. So I'd advise anyone who is thinking about moving out here to do it sooner rather than later. Otherwise you won't be able to afford it!